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By Jake Donovan - The moment Joe Calzaghe’s arm was raised in victory over Mikkel Kessler last November, the super middleweight division was given something it sorely lacked in more than 20 years of existence – a definitive leader.
No matter who you believed was the man going in, the bout produced a clear-cut winner between the division’s best two fighters.
Some believed Calzaghe was already the man going in, that Kessler was a clear-cut number two, and the greatest threat to the top spot. Others believed that Calzaghe needed more than 10 years as an alphabet titlist and a win over Jeff Lacy to prove he was better than a Kessler who’d defeated a string of top ten super middleweights in a short amount of time in becoming the flavor of the month.
By November 4, 2007, none of that mattered. Who belonged atop the super middleweight division was no longer limited to a mythical matchup debate.
Unfortunately, the glory didn’t last long.
For 14 years, Calzaghe spent his entire career prior to 2008 fighting at 168 lb. and in Europe, in fact all but two of his 44 bouts staged in the United Kingdom. Both trends were broken with a single fight in 2008, his split decision win over Bernard Hopkins in a bout that marked his debut both at light heavyweight and in the United States.
At the time, he kept his options open, not completely writing off 168, but curious to see what other challenges (and more importantly, paydays) awaited him seven pounds north. He eventually severed all ties at super middleweight, and now prepares for a November 8 light heavyweight super fight with Roy Jones Jr, himself one of several notable former super middleweight kings whose claim atop the division never moved past hypothetical.
While Calzaghe looks to add to his Hall of Fame credentials and his bank account, the super middleweight division is forced to rebuild. It took more than 20 years to finally get its best two fighters in the world to settle all debates in the ring. There’s no telling how long it will be before the next universally recognized super middleweight king will surface. [details]
No matter who you believed was the man going in, the bout produced a clear-cut winner between the division’s best two fighters.
Some believed Calzaghe was already the man going in, that Kessler was a clear-cut number two, and the greatest threat to the top spot. Others believed that Calzaghe needed more than 10 years as an alphabet titlist and a win over Jeff Lacy to prove he was better than a Kessler who’d defeated a string of top ten super middleweights in a short amount of time in becoming the flavor of the month.
By November 4, 2007, none of that mattered. Who belonged atop the super middleweight division was no longer limited to a mythical matchup debate.
Unfortunately, the glory didn’t last long.
For 14 years, Calzaghe spent his entire career prior to 2008 fighting at 168 lb. and in Europe, in fact all but two of his 44 bouts staged in the United Kingdom. Both trends were broken with a single fight in 2008, his split decision win over Bernard Hopkins in a bout that marked his debut both at light heavyweight and in the United States.
At the time, he kept his options open, not completely writing off 168, but curious to see what other challenges (and more importantly, paydays) awaited him seven pounds north. He eventually severed all ties at super middleweight, and now prepares for a November 8 light heavyweight super fight with Roy Jones Jr, himself one of several notable former super middleweight kings whose claim atop the division never moved past hypothetical.
While Calzaghe looks to add to his Hall of Fame credentials and his bank account, the super middleweight division is forced to rebuild. It took more than 20 years to finally get its best two fighters in the world to settle all debates in the ring. There’s no telling how long it will be before the next universally recognized super middleweight king will surface. [details]
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